In a transmission, when the torque flow in the reverse gear and in the first forward gear runs through different countershafts, to shift between the reverse gear and the first gear a clutch has to be opened at one of the countershafts, and at the other one, a clutch has to be closed. Each time a shift between the first gear and the reverse gear occurs, a noticeable interruption of the torque flow occurs. This is in particular troublesome when the wheels are sunk into loose ground and an attempt is made to initiate the vehicle, by quick shifting between forward and reverse gear, to perform a reciprocating movement, the amplitude of which finally becomes high enough for the wheels to get out of the ruts in the grounds. Such a release maneuver is only possible when the time of the shifting operation between forward and reverse gear is considerably shorter than the period of the reciprocating movement of the vehicle in the rut.
It is hence at least one object of the present invention to develop a manual transmission with a drive shaft and at least two countershafts drivable in opposite directions in such a manner that the time period required for shifting between a forward and a reverse gear is minimized.